3 years old

Interview with Cutler. His real answers are in parenthesis.

What is your favorite color? blue (dinosaur)

What is your favorite thing to eat? pizza, chicken nuggets (dinosaur)

What is your favorite song? Wheels on the bus (dinosaur)

What is your favorite toy? DINOSAUR

What is your favorite movie? Incredibles (dinosaur)

What is your favorite drink? Apple juice

What is your favorite show? Little bear, Max & Ruby, Backyardigans

Who is your buddy? (Noah)

What is your favorite animal? My giant dinosaur {the pinata for his b-day party}

Some of Cutler's favorite things are: Sarge, his silky blanket, taking pictures with my camera, chasing kids around pretending to be nothing else but a dinosaur, Pirate Island Pizza, and a bubble bath.

Cutler, I absolutely love how you are always doing silly things to make us laugh...

I totally love your cheezy smile!

I love how you can fall asleep anywhere...(haha)

I love how strong you are...

You absolutely love to play in the water.

You are 100% boy! and I love it...

You do have a sweet, gentle, and loving side too.

Cutler, as wild, crazy, energetic, and out of control as you are...

I wouldn't have you any other way!!

Happy Birthday big boy!

First day of School

Doesn't it seem like every year it comes earlier? We aren't even to the middle of the month yet and school has already started.

This year Noah is in 1st grade!

His teacher's name is Mrs. Gunther, and she seems to be really nice. He says he likes her. His little friend Hunter is in his class, and they sit at the same table. That could be bad. He was so excited to get to eat lunch at school, have 3 recesses, and get to walk to & from school. We can't wait to see and hear about all the new and fun things he gets to do and learn.

The prayer pail

At our house, we tend to get in the habit of repeating the same prayer over and over. (Please tell me we're not the only family that does this.) For the past couple of months (it actually seems like forever) we have been trying to get Noah to think of other things he is thankful for, and other blessings he can ask for. The only things he seems to remember are 'thankful we could be good today' (hahaha), and 'thankful/bless us to have fun'. Every prayer!
One day while I was blog surfing on some 'Do it yourself' blogs I came across this prayer pail here.


I thought it was such a cute and good idea I got the stuff and we put our version together for FHE. As a family we sat down and each thought of things to put on the sticks that we could pray for. Now every night when we go to say prayers the boys each pick a stick and we make sure to add those two things into our prayers. It really has been such a helper.

30 years

Wow! 30 was an age I always thought was 'old'. You know when you were in high school talking about your future, I think that to myself I was referring to my 30's. Well, here I am, and honestly, I don't feel old. I mean, I do, but not really. In my mind, once you were 30 you had probably done it all...got married, bought a home, had a job, have kids, drive a mini van, drive the car pool, have kids games to go to. If that's the list, I have done it all. Except the mini van. So, maybe I am old?

I haven't figured it out yet, but if my boys keep acting the way they've been the past, oh... I don't know...2 years, I will for sure be old and gray, quick! They are wearing me out.

Here are some of the fun things I got.

Sherie took us out and did pictures a few weeks ago and then blew this one up and framed it. I absolutely love it!! (picture of a picture...doesn't do it justice)

and these were on the door when Colb & I got home from dinner.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Tiff,
Happy Birthday!!! You are the Greatest. I love you so much. I can't believe you are the same age as me again for the next six months. I guess I can't use the excuse that I'm older than you.
Happy Birthday!! Love Colby, Noah, Cutler, and Lexie.

7 months

I just have to say we have the sweetest little girl! She has started to get a little more difficult, but only because she's been so dang easy.

Just some things for me to remember:

• She's doing a lot better at eating baby food. I wouldn't say she's a pro yet, but getting better. Loves pears, sweet potatoes, and squash. And I have to disguise the cereal with some flavor. She doesn't love it plain.
• Still the best sleeper ever!!!
• She's sitting up. Once in a while she tips over, but for the most part, she's a big girl!
• She does not love watching someone walk out of the room. It pretty much doesn't matter who it is, she doesn't love being alone.
• On the other hand, she seems to get nervous around a lot of people. Doesn't really love that either.
• She still has some stranger anxiety issues.
• She's getting better in the car, but I still wouldn't say she loves it. We're working on it.
• She's starting to hold her bottle. Yay, a free hand for me!
• I l-o-v-e listening to her talk in the mornings. I usually leave her in bed for a good 30 minutes before I go in to get her, just so I can listen to her. It's so cute!
• She loves the bath, and now that she's sitting up it's even more fun. She loves to splash with her hands.
• Her hair is getting lighter and longer. And no, it is not red.

The boys crack me up with her. Noah is the best helper, seriously. In the car he sits next to her, and if she even starts getting mad he's all over it. "Mom, where's her binki/bottle/toy/blanket?" He'll sing to her, make noises, whatever it takes to try and make her happy. And at home, if he hears her crying, and I'm busy, he does the same thing. I love it!

Cutler asks to hold her about 10 times a day. It's only for about 30 seconds, literally, but every time he kisses her head right before he says "I'm done". At random times throughout the day he'll just run over to her and kiss her, usually on the arm or leg, and then go back to his business. He's getting to the point that when she's mad, he tries to make her happy by talking to her, giving her her binki, or a toy. The other day I was in changing the laundry and Lexie was crying. I had layed her on the floor with her bottle and she must have dropped it. I was yelling in to her "I'll be there just a second, and you're ok..." when I got back to her Cutler had gotten down on the floor with her and was holding the bottle for her. It was so cute.

24th of July

Who doesn't love this holiday? (that's from Utah.) My whole life this has been one of my very most favorite days of the year. This year was no different.

I try and try and just can't ever get a perfect picture of all of them. This was the best I could get.

The kids waiting for the next float to throw out candy. They didn't get as much this year, but Noah started getting selective of what he would pick up. You can only eat so much salt water taffy. I have no idea why Cutler is sitting in the road. He's Cutler.

Cutler racing. He usually takes 1st or 2nd. This year he dropped his bouncy ball right after he started, so he had to turn around and pick it up. I'm pretty sure he was last.

Our dang camera wasn't working when it was Noah's turn. He didn't win either. Not a lucky year for us.

We pulled our trailer up to the mountain the week before, and camped the whole weekend with Shan & Jennifer's family. It was such a nice break from the heat at home.

I swear, put our boys in the mountains, and they think they're in heaven. They rolled this log clear from the trees behind the truck. And I wonder why they can't find easy entertainment like this at home?

We had such a good time and can't wait for next year to do it all again!

It finally happened!

Not that we wanted it to, we're just surprised it took this long. Cutler has gotten his first set of stitches. 4, to be exact, under his chin.

He slipped in the tub, and whacked his chin on the side of it. Colby was with him and he said it just wouldn't quit gushing. I wasn't home, but got a call and got there as quick as I could. Colby wasn't sure if it needed stitches or not, but when I got home, I took the band aid off and I knew immediately he needed them. We hurried over to insta-care, because of course it was 8:40 p.m. and they close at 9:00. We always have to do things at the last minute.

Cutler was so brave, I couldn't believe it. He was so good for them and held very still. I'm pretty sure everything they said and were doing to him was just scary, but he only cried when they put the needle in to stitch, then he would stop, then cry again with each stitch. Kinda funny, but so sad. I had to keep looking away because I wanted to cry for him.

Waiting for the numbing stuff to do its magic.

Look how gross! There was a little bit of fat hanging out, but the dr. snipped it off for him.

Home with a band aid and all the stickers he got for being so good.

And for your viewing pleasure. 4 stitches we'll be getting out next week.

Cutler, we love you buddy!

Park City

This year we were treated to a much needed vacation from the Labrum's. We stayed at the Marriot Mountainside in Park City, and it was absolutely amazing! The rooms were super nice - a home away from home, the scenery was beautiful - of course, and the company was a ton of fun. Lucky for us, they all have the big kids, so they pretty much take care of our boys. Sort of gives us a little break. And they don't really realize it because they're just playing.

We couldn't go up until Wednesday night after work, so by the time we got there everyone was pretty much getting ready for bed. Thursday morning we got up and went to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house with Kristen's family. I've never gone to an open house before, so this was a neat experience. Plus I am so happy my boys got to see the inside of the temple. Not that they really understand the importance of it yet, but I had the most amazing feeling the whole time because I was there with my family.

As soon as we got back from the temple it was swimming, swimming, swimming!

On Friday, we bought the all day passes for the slides, and coaster. This was our hotel in the background. We were on the ski lift going up to the Alpine slides. We were so excited when we found out all of this was right outside the hotel.

I was actually kind of worried about how Cutler would do on these rides. He loved them! He laughed the whole time and kept telling me to go faster. He's such a little dare devil.

Noah was a little nervous at first, but the more he went on them he got more daring. The last time they went down, Noah got to go all by himself. He was so proud of himself!

Here's the coaster. You ride up the mountain on it, then back down - and it's fast!

This is the one Cutler kept telling me to go faster. I would put the brake on because you totally feel like you're going to fly off the side, but he liked the speed.

More swimming

We got to stay until Sunday, everyone else left on Saturday. We used that day to get Noah's school shopping done, and just do things in town.

Outside the candy shoppe

...and we're marching!

We had such a great time! Thanks Doug & Janet for a great vacation!!

Oh, and Kristen, tell Rob that Cutler was practicing his magic trick on the way home. His fry got stuck and I could not get him to blow it out this time. I tried a million things to try and get it out, but I kept pushing it up farther. When we went to bed I couldn't see it anymore and figured he had sniffed it up and swallowed it. The next morning I could see something almost hanging out of his nose, it was the fry!!

Happy 4th of July!

We didn't really have the (4th) attire this year. But we did manage to squeeze in a little photo session with Hallie! Lexie didn't want to cooperate for most of it, but they still turned out pretty cute.

I love this picture. Lexie had just fallen over onto the grass, and Hallie was trying to give her loves, so cute!